It's been several years since Crete Carrier Corp. announced that it would build a new $10 million trucking terminal in East Tennessee, but company drivers feel it was worth the wait.

"This is the Taj Mahal of terminals," said Morris Sims, a Madisonville, Tenn., resident and 28-year veteran of the Lincoln, Neb.-based trucking company.

The 26-acre campus, located on West Buttermilk Road off Interstate 40 in Lenoir City, officially opened this week. The terminal includes parking for hundreds of trucks, offices, a driver center, training rooms, and fueling and maintenance facilities.

Before construction could begin, Crete had to contend with zoning issues, wastewater treatment and even some angry racing fans who were upset that the new facility would occupy the former site of Atomic Speedway.

"It was a long, hard process, but it was worth it," said Leslie Henderson, president of The Roane Alliance.

It's been several years since Crete Carrier Corp. announced that it would build a new $10 million trucking terminal in East Tennessee, but company drivers feel it was worth the wait.

"This is the Taj Mahal of terminals," said Morris Sims, a Madisonville, Tenn., resident and 28-year veteran of the Lincoln, Neb.-based trucking company.

The 26-acre campus, located on West Buttermilk Road off Interstate 40 in Lenoir City, officially opened this week. The terminal includes parking for hundreds of trucks, offices, a driver center, training rooms, and fueling and maintenance facilities.

Before construction could begin, Crete had to contend with zoning issues, wastewater treatment and even some angry racing fans who were upset that the new facility would occupy the former site of Atomic Speedway.

"It was a long, hard process, but it was worth it," said Leslie Henderson, president of The Roane Alliance.